Panelo on facing commute challenge: ‘It’s a silly acceptance’

MANILA, Philippines—”It’s a silly acceptance.”

This was how Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo described his decision to accept the challenge to take public transportation so he could experience the daily ordeal of commuters.

Panelo initially rejected the dare of militant groups Anakbayan and Bayan to commute to work to experience the “hellish reality” of the transport system in Metro Manila, calling it a “silly” challenge. But hours later, he decided to accept the challenge and announced that he will commute from his house to Malacañang on Friday.

READ: Panelo shuns ‘silly’ dare for Duterte, admin execs to commute daily

READ: Challenge accepted: Panelo will commute to Malacañang

Panelo, who is also President Duterte’s legal counsel, said he merely accepted the challenge of the militant groups and is not looking to prove anything in taking on the dare.

“Tinanggap ko lang ‘yung hamon. (I just accepted their challenge) I am not trying to prove anything, I just accepted the challenge,” he said in a Palace briefing on Thursday.

The Palace official also refused to divulge details on his plan to commute to Malacañang on Friday.

He also said that he will not ask for media coverage to avoid making it a “spectacle.”

Panelo recently drew flak for denying Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes Jr.’s claim that a “mass transport crisis” is gripping Metro Manila as all of its three railways suffered glitches last week.   /muf